Advaita Vedanta: THE ROOTS OF YOUR DISCONTENTMENT AND WHY "LIVING IS THE ONLY MEANING OF LIFE," Part Three

An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

Here, there is nothing that is believed, so there is no one here who wants you to believe anything, either. Here, the invitation is to be free of all that you have been programmed, conditioned, acculturated, and domesticated to believe so that you can be free, period.

FROM A VIEWER OF THE RETREAT DVD'S: I bought the DVD set of one of your retreats and there were so many things you said that I disagreed with--but watching them later..many times..that changed. But one thing you say on occasion is still nagging me. I was raised in a church home and was told to find the reason God put me on earth and that I could never be happy unless I found "His plan for me" and then spent my life doing whatever that was. I bought into that "raison d'etre" theory, tried to let that be the driving force in my life for years, came across your website, and started getting free of all of that. I thought I was, but whenever you talk about what some of the "big names' write about--you know meaning and purpose and all--I flash back and then the nagging starts again and I hear someone say A LIFE WITHOUT MEANING IS WORTHLESS. Will I ever be able to let go of that? How can anyone be free of the ideas of meaning and purpose and still feel fulfilled?

F.: Were one to study the history of humans on this planet objectively, it would become clear just how selfish and self-motivated and self-sustaining the notions of purpose and meaning really are.

The evidence would hardly show that those with a clearly-defined purpose or meaning were the ones "living a life that had worth," at least in the estimate of the masses whose relative existence has been affected by such types or whose relative existence came to an end as a result of the actions of those driven by "their lives' meaning and purpose."

The leaders of the Spanish Inquisition (like their Puritan counterparts who organized witchcraft trials in the U.S.) had a purpose: to eliminate from their ranks those who had less faith than they should have had.

Europeans who believed in the concept of "Manifest Destiny" had a purpose: to rid the areas now known as "North, Central, and South America" of the 150,000,000 inhabitants that were standing in the way of Christians whose purpose was to "go to the fours corner of the earth and baptize everyone in the name of Jesus Christ" (and kill the ones in "the new world" who refused). Yet if you had asked them about their purpose, it would have been described as "noble" and "godly" and "good for the entire planet, ultimately."

Adolf Hitler and his henchmen had a purpose in life: to eliminate from the face of the earth every Jew, every homosexual, and every physically or mentally-handicapped person. Their lives were given meaning by working to erase everyone and everything that stood in the way of making a "master race" of people.

Kamikaze pilots in WWII had a purpose: my father watched from the deck of the ship that was transporting him from San Francisco to Okinawa as one plane after another tried to crash into the ships in their convoy and kill as many members of the Allied Forces as possible. Those pilots had a purpose, and their deaths were believed to have given meaning to their lives.

Today, Islamic extremists have a purpose. As with Christians who are instructed in their text to make everyone a Christian, the extremists want to make everyone a Muslim. (Gets rather confusing, though, when you try to pin down which brand of Christianity or which brand of Islam is believed to be the "right one.")

And the lives of the captains of Wall Street in the U.S. most assuredly had a clear-cut purpose and well-defined meaning, the result of which was a wrecking of the economies of most "developed" nations on the planet.

Ideologues in conflicting religions or political parties will tell you that their lives have a definite purpose and have significant meaning as they are driven by their religious and political personas which determine every ignorant thought they have, which control every bizarre word that comes from their mouths, and which drive all of their self-serving behaviors that follow.

Behind the claims of any and all persons who say they have found their life's purpose which is giving their life meaning, there is a hidden agenda that has nothing to do with the stated purpose or meaning.

Then there is not only the conflict but also the duality that accompany purpose-driven persons because the purpose of one will always run counter to the purpose of other persons involved, inserting duality into every aspect of (A) the lives of the purpose-driven vs. (B) the lives of those persons being affected by the "purposeful" agendas of those in Group "A."

There was the duality of the purposeful leaders of the Spanish Inquisition on one hand vs. the persons being tortured and slain on the other hand.

There was the duality of those Europeans whose lives were given meaning by helping to annihilate the 150,000,000 people who stood in the way of their goal of expansionism - driven by a belief in the natural superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race and justified with the claim that they needed to build a "Christian nation" to serve as a shining beacon to the rest of the world (a belief that is still used by politicians to help define "America's mission" in the world) vs. the interests of the native inhabitants of the invaded land who merely wanted to continue to live as they had lived for thousands of years on the other hand.

There was the duality of the purposeful, meaningful lives of the Nazis on one hand vs. the interests of the 12,000,000 killed in German death camps - and the 43,000,000 killed in a war to try to stop the Nazis' plans - on the other hand.

There's the duality of Kamikaze pilots and the duality of modern-day suicidal, Islamic extremists (with their lives' clearly-defined purpose and meaning that involved a sacrificing of their lives to kill other persons) vs. the interests of all those killed because of their differing beliefs on the other hand.

There was the duality of the purposeful leaders of Wall Street on one hand vs. the basic economic interests of billions of persons around the globe on the other hand.

There is the duality of those whose life purpose it is to impose their ideological beliefs on everyone else vs. those who prefer lives where decisions are based in logic and reason on the other hand.

There is the duality of 2.1 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims whose purpose in life is to convert everyone to believe in their beliefs and to worship their version of the God of Abraham on one hand vs. the persons who would rather not join them in converting and worshipping on the other hand.

And there is the duality of those who believe that their purpose is to "save people" or to change people vs. those who have no interest at all in being saved or changed.

If you had a choice of whether to spend an entire relative existence with

(1) persons on a quest who claim to have a clearly-defined purpose that gives their lives meaning

or with

(2) one that is enjoying the lightness of being, abiding as the contented deer that are not conscious of any supposed meaning or purpose at all

and if, before making your choice between #1 or # 2 above, you were to study objectively the impact of persons who have claimed to have found the meaning-giving purpose of their lives

could it be any clearer at all about what the sane and sound choice would be?

Again, consider the message from Maharaj to those who think their lives have been given meaning as a result of their having found their purpose in life:

Questioner: "Is there no salvation for the world?"

Maharaj: "Which world do you want to save? The world of your own projection? Save it yourself. My world? Show me my world and I shall deal with it. I am not aware of any world separate from myself...."

And, even more to the point,

Maharaj: "What business have you with saving the world, when all the world needs is to be saved from you?"

Or from inquisitionists; or from thieves and murderers who kill millions and take their land in the name of God; or from those willing to die for their causes and those willing to kill millions in the process, be they killing and dying for an emperor or for the God of Abraham or for Allah; or from greedy capitalists; or from political and religious ideologues, ad infinitum.

Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)

Much of what Louise has shared has resonated with many site visitors. to that end, some have inquired recently if Louise offers the online Advaita Internet Course. The answer is, "Yes."
Whether taking the course with Louise or Floyd, the price of the course includes all 11 of the Advaita eBooks, questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.
With either teacher, you will be guided through all seven of the steps, in order, that lead from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond). For more specific information and details about the course, you may click on the link to the right.
Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Louise

by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:
Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd

by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:

Now you can receive for $40 a downloadable computer file version of the same 7-hour satsang that seekers receive when they visit for the Advaita Retreat with Floyd. You will be guided through the seven steps from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond).
For more information or to order, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat

SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:

1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk Video (DVD) Set, or the same retreat available as a downloadable file. Either will provide an entire seven-hour retreat / series of satsang sessions showing three seekers being guided through all seven steps by Floyd and can provide viewers with an “experiential,” step-by-step series of satsang meetings that will move the viewers from identification with the I to abidance as the Absolute and then to abidance as That Which Is beyond
Some seekers are already using the computer file version and the DVD sets for meetings in groups in homes, playing the retreat, pausing for discussion, etc.
To find out more or to purchase the DVD set or the downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
Option “A” is for the downloadable file version, Option “B” is used to order the DVD set for delivery inside the U.S., Option “C” for international orders.
For the download, Paypal will send me a notice that payment has been received and then I will send by e-mail the downloading instruction, password, etc.
[It is recommended that you watch the video with pen and paper in hand. Write whatever you need clarified. You'll see that there are constant reviews and you might find an answer later in the seven-hour presentation. Then, after you watch it all, there will be a common ground for discussion. Purchase of the DVD’s or the file will include the right to clarifications and answers to your specific questions via e-mail.]

2. BY READING these books in this exact order:
IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
[Those two prepare the seeker to question it all]
THE MEDITATION GUIDES
[Provide a broad overview of the understanding]
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
[Begins to free the seeker of body identification and the desire for body continuity]
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace if You're Out of Your Mind)
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of the false content of the “mind”]
LIBERATION
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of personas]
THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
[Provides the final preparation for the seeker to be directed along the “path”]
FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
[Directs the seeker along the “path”]
CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
[Allows the seeker to understand the functioning of the totality, the manifestation, and what is involved with the un-manifestation]
FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
[Provides the seeker the wisdom to understand the Noneness as well as the Oneness]
Purchase an e-Book now and begin reading it in minutes (except with e-checks that can take 7-10 days). Trusting our clients as we do, all e-Books are provided to you in printable form.
SAVE IF YOU BUY ALL ELEVEN AT ONCE:
(You may order the books one at a time or you may use the following link to acquire the entire 11-e-Book set on sale for $99 if ordered at one time with the “Buy Now” button below. For this option, there will be no download links provided; once the near-instant notice of payment is received from PayPal, your e-Books will be sent to you as e-mail attachments. All are printable for your convenience.)

You may visit The Official Website of Floyd Henderson for information on each book.

3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes
For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course

4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.

5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally:
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session

6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link above to discuss details.

The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders offers the non-duality message by way of a mystery-adventure novel, discussing the movement from pain to healing to awakening to peace.
From Dr. R.F. Maley, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Houston: "Floyd Henderson's book, The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders, is a fun read and an interesting mystery, but perhaps more importantly it serves as a vehicle for blending Eastern Philosophy and Native American Spirituality to make an intellectually challenging novel. The book's insights into both relationships and authoritarian conditioning of people in our society make it a must read, tracing the roots of narcissistic, sociopathic and psychopathic behaviors to the very core of the culture. This truly witty and politically-incorrect study of the aggressive nature of 'the American character' offers not only a diagnosis but also a treatment plan, making the book an excellent supplemental reading in courses such as psychology, anthropology, philosophy, sociology and counseling."

You may purchase your copy of the ebook version of THE TWICE-STOLEN NECKLACE MURDERS then start reading within minutes:

The Sequel to The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders:
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WARS

For a paperback or eBook version of the book, click:

The Board of Directors of Wars

[THE YOUTUBE ADVAITA VEDANTA VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE IN LARGER FORMATS BELOW WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE MORE COMFORTABLE VIEWING FOR SOME SITE VISITORS]

[RE: The "Subscribe To" feature: In some cases, all of the month's postings might be sent the first time after subscribing; after that, you should receive only one day's posting at a time.]

YOUTUBE ADVAITA VEDANTA YOGA VIDEOS

Click on the arrow below to start Video One: